Four Georgia college presidents have signed on to a national initiative to fight binge drinking by their students -- by lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18.
Spelman College President, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, says learning responsible drinking is part of adapting to adulthood:
“At the age of 18 students are able to vote, they’re able to join the military – you know, fight in wars - but we are saying that they’re not mature enough to drink a beer.”Tatum and three other presidents joined 96 other colleagues in signing on a petition to lower the legal drinking age, called the Amethyst Initiative.
Tatum says too many kids are turning into binge drinkers, about as fast as they can flash their fake IDs at the liquor store:
“When you say something is off-limits at a time when people are trying to assume adult responsibilities, sometimes what you get is irresponsible behavior.”20-year-old Georgia Tech student Teddy Ingalls agrees. He can’t drink yet, but says letting students drink at a younger age, would keep them from endangering themselves or others:
“I think it’s a great idea. A lot of kids end up making stupid decisions because they’re trying to figure out ways to go drink when they’re underage, and end up either hurting themselves or somebody else.”But Georgia Tech grad student, Vivek Pitchaimani is worried that college freshmen are inexperienced, and may not know when to say no:
“The minute you start taking a drink or two it goes on, and you start to party and stuff. And then you go out on the streets and you’re being reckless, whether you’re driving or going to a shop or something.”Mothers Against Drunk Driving agrees, and says several studies prove that lowering the drinking age has a direct link to a rise in DUI accidents and deaths.
MADD National President Laura Dean-Mooney says dropping the age is giving in, and will only drop the problem in the laps of a younger generation:
“We believe this initiative is basically waving a white flag. These presidents are passing the problem on to high school principals, high school communities who are already dealing with a number of their own problems…"The Presidents of Georgia Southwestern State University, Morehouse College, and Oglethorpe University also signed the petition.
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